new archive of old jazz

In his archive.org biography, Niven says he first listened to jazz at the age of 10 with his cousin. It was a Louis Armstrong record. His collection started there and lasted throughout his adult life. The archive project started when Niven wanted to introduce his children to the jazz music he was positively affected by.

“This is an extraordinary collection,” archivist Kevin J. Powers writes on archive.org introducing the collection. “It has been Mr. Niven’s life’s work. It represents the very finest American music of the 20th century, and because Mr. Niven took the time and care to record these commentaries, he has produced a library that is accessible to everyone from jazz aficionados to jazz novices.”